Extended Family
by Littleotter73
Summary: Part 4 of the Advent Series. Giles brings Buffy to his sister's home to celebrate Christmas Eve with her family.


**Title: **Extended Family

**Author:** littleotter73

**Rating:** FRT

**Characters: **Giles/Buffy

**Setting**: Christmas Eve

**Summary:** Part 4 of the Advent Series. Giles brings Buffy to his sister's home to celebrate Christmas Eve with her family.

**Word Count:** 2754

**Beta: **Many thanks go out to il_mio_capitano

Extended Family

The winter winds whip around the city street. It's not snowing, but it certainly feels and smells like it should be. As they rush up the three steps to enter the tube station, Giles instinctively places his hand on the small of Buffy's back. It's a chivalric move, she doesn't need help, but her body language relaxes a little at the contact. She's been tense since leaving his sister's house and he wonders why her mood has soured so. Up until then they'd enjoyed a lovely Christmas Eve dinner with his extended family.

Out of the chill night air and safely underground, Buffy sits down on a bench to wait for the next train and hugs her arms to her body.

He takes a seat next to her and risks her ire. "Everything all right?" he asks quietly.

"Yeah," she says noncommittally, looking down the tracks.

He doesn't say anything. She isn't angry, which is good, but she's obviously upset about something and taking the time to process it. He just hopes she finds his presence reassuring.

Buffy's not comfortable with how the evening went. She internally berates herself for her actions earlier in the evening. She should have been more subtle, but she'd been walking a thin line between showing Giles how much she cares for him and trying not to act all obvious about it in front of his family. Yet she'd made a complete hash of it.

And now, his sister and possibly the rest of the family assume they are more. She knows his twelve-year-old niece Amelia had made that assumption instantly upon their arrival.

—

"_Uncle Ru has never brought anyone home to meet the family before, much less at Christmas! You must be special!" Amelia says with a big smile after her introduction to Buffy. "Ow!" she cries and glares at one of her older brothers. "What was that for?"_

_Nicky, Giles' sixteen-year-old nephew, looks unrepentantly down at his sister before introducing himself. "Gotta say, I am honored to finally meet you. Uncle Ru has told us all about the apocalypses you've prevented and all the demons you've taken out. I mean, wow! I can't believe you're actually standing here!"_

"_Umm… thanks. I couldn't have done it without your uncle and our friends. Honestly, if it weren't for him, well… I wouldn't be here now."_

_Giles gives her an affectionate look and her insides practically do a somersault, and she smiles widely at him, conveying the truth of her words._

"_He does, you know, talk about you all the time," Amelia agrees excitedly._

_Buffy glances at Giles with a raised eyebrow and he can only shrug. He's a Watcher with a once Active Slayer and a family involved in the Council for generations with the next being brought up in its traditions, but he does have the good grace to blush._

"_Well, that works out pretty well, because I talk about him a lot too."_

"_Really?" Amelia asks, her eyes widening with interest. "What sort of things?"_

"_Amelia, do hush, before poor Uncle Ru becomes the center or unwanted attention," a young man scolds as he enters the lounge. "Do you remember me, Miss Summers?" he asks, as he enters the lounge. She does. He's the oldest nephew and he looks remarkably like a younger Giles, only his eyes are blue, his hair almost jet black, and he stands about two inches taller than his uncle._

"_James," Buffy answers warmly with a smile as she takes his outstretched hand and shakes it. "Of course I do, it's good to see you again." She'd met him at a lecture she gave about what Slayers need from their Watchers. James is still studying at Oxford, but he is part of the Watcher Preparatory Program and will enter the Academy upon graduation in a year and a half. "And please, it's Buffy."_

"_Well, that's the brood," Julia says with a laugh, rescuing Buffy and her brother as she brings in a cup of mulled wine for each them. "Rob should be back soon from walking the dog."_

"_So what brings you to London for the holidays, Buffy?" James asks._

"_Honestly," she begins, looking up at Giles fondly. "I've kind of missed this guy."_

—_-_

Buffy lets out a small grunt of frustration and crosses her arms over her chest. She should have known that things were bound to be misconstrued from the outset with Giles bringing a woman to his family's traditional Christmas Eve dinner and she should have been more careful. If she continues to review her behavior over the evening, she knows she's going to come across more of those instances where she is either bragging about or complimenting Giles, or teasing him, casually touching him, or making eyes at him. After all that, what _should_ his sister think? Hell, after her performance tonight, her _own_ sister would have probably pulled her aside and asked her what the hell was going on between her and Giles.

No wonder Julia confronted her at the end of the evening.

—

"_I have to say," Julia comments, hugging Buffy to her. "You are good for him."_

_Buffy freezes in her embrace before pulling away. "It's… uh… we're not… together," she replies, almost in a panic. Was she that transparent around Giles' family about her feelings for him? Ugh! Of course she was!_

_Julia looks a little taken aback. "I never said you were, dear. It's just… he's happy and it's clear you are the reason for it. Happiness is a good look on my brother."_

_Whether Julia says it or not, Buffy understands her meaning. There's both a sisterly tone extended and a subtle warning underneath. She might be the younger sibling, but she is protective of her big brother and she clearly thinks the world of him._

_Giles returns with their coats before Buffy can reply. She smiles at Julia as he helps her with her coat and says, "Merry Christmas. Thank you for the wonderful dinner and letting me join your family celebrations." She means every word. The afternoon and evening have been lovely: full of acceptance, parlour games, family stories, and the most wonderful Christmas feast she's ever partaken in. Julia embraces her again and the emotions behind it are warm and genuine._

_Leaning in, Giles kisses his sister on the cheek. "Thank you for having us and for the gifts. It was lovely spending Christmas Eve with you, Rob, and the kids."_

"_Will I see you both at Teddy's on Boxing Day?"_

_Buffy tilts her head, silently asking Giles for clarification._

"_Our cousin. His parties are not to be missed," he explains before answering his sister sheepishly as he rubs the back of his neck, "Honestly, I had forgotten with Buffy being in town."_

"_No matter. Hopefully we'll see you there. What about Sunday dinner in a fortnight?" she asks before addressing Buffy, "You must come too."_

_Giles sends Buffy a questioning look. She knows what he is asking. Will she still be around at that time? And the truth is, she doesn't know. Suddenly things have gotten a little weird. _

_He gives her a small smile and returns his attention back towards his sister. "We'll… uh… I'll let you know."_

"_Soon?" It's more of a direction than a question and Giles nods as his sister gives him an affectionate smile. "Safe home, yeah?"_

—

Buffy sighs. Things were simpler when it was just the two of them: no expectations, just being themselves and preparing for the holiday celebrations. And even though they aren't a couple, she knows they've certainly been acting like one. They just don't actually have the romance part down. Although they have been sort of… dancing around it: a little flirting here, a bit of backing off there when things seem to get a little heated between them. She certainly doesn't want to ruin their holiday if it isn't something he wants. She often thinks he might, but he hasn't given her any indication that he wants more…

But the introduction of others into their fragile world, their undefined relationship where lines are fuzzy and boundaries are being tested, makes things even more complicated. She leans against the back of the bench and looks at the ceiling, mentally berating herself. Maybe she should have waited until after the holidays to visit when there would be fewer demands on his time by external factors. Or maybe she should have convinced him to visit her in some foreign city and she could have tested the waters without any family around.

Giles leans forward on his elbows and clasps his gloved hands together. He'd really like to know why she's upset. She'd been so vibrant and alive since she's returned, especially tonight, sharing Christmas Eve with his family, who all seem to adore her. She fit in so well. Perhaps she is missing her own family.

"Do you miss Dawn?" he finally asks as he leans back into the bench.

"I do," Buffy confirms, still gazing at the ceiling. "It's our first Christmas apart."

"I am sorry," he says genuinely, sitting back so he can see her better.

"I'll call her when we get back to your place," she shrugs. "She'll be up late wrapping presents. She always leaves it to the last minute and is up well past midnight."

He can't help but notice that for the first time since Milan she hasn't call his place "home" and it feels as though the biting winter wind has blown through the tunnel. He stands up and paces the length of two billboards and back. He can't imagine what has brought this on, but clearly something's happened to change things so drastically. Just before dinner, she'd practically thrown herself into the role of his… dare he even think it? _His wife_.

—

"_Shrek? Come on Giles!" she laughs as she taps at the drawing on the easel with the pink marker. "Seriously, how did you not get the bunny suit from _A Christmas Story_? We _just _watched that movie a couple days ago!"_

"_It _looks _like a donkey!" he protests, gesturing at the frantic doodle. "Amelia, you would have guessed Shrek too, wouldn't you have? Those are clearly donkey ears." he asks his niece, looking for support._

"_Sorry, Uncle Ru, it's definitely a rabbit, but I don't know the pink bunny suit."_

"_No way! Really? It's a Christmas classic! We'll have to have you over to watch it," Buffy says automatically, sitting back down next to Giles and placing her hand on his knee as she continues to explain the premise of the movie to his niece._

_He immediately forgets his protest and stares at her, partly in wonder and partly in disbelief. Buffy has inserted herself into every aspect of his life, including the role of lady of his house, and he's glad her attention is still focused on Amelia because he's trying to calm his heart, his emotions, and he's sure, his facial expressions. She's not wrong, he's given over that role to her. His home is hers, but he never really expected this and he softly covers her hand with his and gives it a reassuring squeeze._

_She turns to smile at him, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Thursday okay with you?"_

—

The train arrives after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence and they take a seat in an empty car.

"I'm sorry," he says, mostly to break the ice.

"For what?" she asks with a genuine look of confusion.

"The holidays are hard without our loved ones around." He is certain it's not the reason for her pulling away, but maybe if he can keep her talking she will open up and eventually confide in him.

She's content to let him assume her change of mood is due to missing her sister and not due to a total lack of restraint and discretion on her part around his sister and her family, and her expression softens at his concern. "All those years in the States, and you spent them alone," she deflects.

"Just the first few years," he admits. "Afterward, we had each other… a-and Xander, Willow, Dawn, and the rest of the gang."

"Until we didn't," she says regretfully, her haunted eyes finally meeting his.

"Yes, but we are here now," he answers softly, placing his hand over hers. She's made it fairly plain that this Christmas is for the two of them since they'd first spoken of it back when she was in Milan.

She smiles up at him sadly before leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispers.

"I wish you'd tell me what's wrong," he replies softly as he gives her hand a gentle squeeze. She's looks conflicted and he resigns himself to just being supportive at her side.

The train stops at the next station, but there are no waiting passengers and after the message plays to mind the gap, the doors close and it jolts forward to resume its route.

"It's my fault your family thinks we're together," she confesses after a few moments of silence, finally letting him know what the problem is.

Tilting his head to look at her, he laces his gloved fingers with hers and asks, "Are we not?"

Buffy lifts her head from his shoulder and stares at him wide-eyed, unsure what he means. Did _he_ tell Julia that they were together? She quickly dismisses that idea. Even amongst his family members he is reserved and keeps private matters close to his chest.

Focusing her attention on the map on the opposite wall, she replies in a huff of disappointment, "Not… not like that."

Giles is usually not one to gamble, especially not where Buffy is concerned, but he now figures her affections are a fairly sure bet. Her hand is still in his and, looking down at them, he takes a moment to rub his thumb along the back of hers. He wishes it were skin to skin contact, but the gesture is still intimate and he knows she needs him to be the one to make the final move.

Shifting slightly to face her better, he lowers his head and notices the hesitation in her eyes. "I'd rather hoped that this is what this holiday is about," he replies. "We've done everything a couple does together to ready _their_ home for the holidays: we've selected and trimmed the tree, decorated the house both inside and out, baked dozens of festive cookies, told each other stories of childhood Christmases, and cuddled up together on the sofa in front of the fire whilst drinking hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps and watching Christmas films."

Buffy's heart races at his declaration. She knows that he enjoys the attention she gives him, especially the evening snuggles as they unwind. At times, she's been sure that he's wanted to kiss her, but he's never so much as dared give her more than a peck on the cheek.

"Since the moment you came through customs, it felt like you were coming home… to me… to _us_. But if this is not the case, and I have misinterpreted your intentions, I'd very much like to know before I attempt to kiss you, because I don't fancy a visit to the A&E if I have it all wrong."

Shaking her head, Buffy can't believe how long winded he can be about things. "Giles?"

"Yes?" His voice is thin with uncertainty as he awaits his fate.

"Please just kiss me."

"Oh, thank Christ," he murmurs as his eyes drop to her sensuous mouth. He moves slowly, savoring the moment and she meets him halfway, their lips finally meeting in a tender touch for the first time.

It's better than she could ever imagine. His kiss is gentle, yet demanding as he cradles her head between his strong hands, and she longs for more, but the next station is theirs and he slowly ends the kiss, touching his forehead to hers, desperately wanting to keep the intimacy between them.

She gazes up at him, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "This… is far from over," she breathes.

"Oh, I can assure you, there will be more of that once we get home," he promises as the train comes to stop and he offers her his hand as he stands up.

"There better be!" she replies with a laugh.

As they disembark the train and head for home, he draws her near and she wraps her arm around his waist, leaning into him with a happy sigh.


End file.
